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2013-08-23 Friday NewsFriday News Mendota Heights Weekly Report on City Activities City Employees The City Council approved the promotion of Sue Donovan to IT Manager. Sue's 18 years of IT experience along with her thorough understanding of the technical infrastructure of the Police department as well as other departments will be beneficial for the organization. Congratulations Sue! The city would like to extend a warm welcome to Nolan Wall. Nolan will be joining the city on Monday as our Planner. Nolan's six years of experience, background and accomplishments are a good match for our city. Welcome Nolan! Mendota Heights' Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program During this past week, the City Council presided over the annual public meeting for the Mendota Heights' Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program (SWPPP). Developed in 2003, this federally mandated program incorporates best management practices that reduce pollutant discharges into the storm water system. Ryan Ruzek, Assistant City Engineer reported on the progress made in meeting the program's goals. One simple step residents can consider is planting a rain garden. Rain gardens are planted depressions designed to store rainwater and allow it to soak in the soil. To find out more about rain gardens visit www.bluethumb.org. A brochure listing eleven simple steps residents can take to improve our ponds, wetlands, lakes, streams and rivers is attached to this week's Friday News. Dates to Remember: August 27, 2013 Planning Commission 7:00 p.m. September 2, 2013 Labor Day - City Offices Closed September 3, 2013 City Council 7:00 p.m. Attachments: Pipeline, Just the Facts City Council agenda packets and Planning Commission agenda packets are available online by visiting www.mendota - heights.com and clicking on the agenda /minutes link. 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MEMO ■ y f % IlL MP AiL #�� } 4 • ■ a� MINEW T +• • , 4 L l , �� a # RL 7 a + f �+ f ^L^' O n W W V L �u) � +r LO O cu % o s_ in Z s_ Cn N L = ) Lo Q) co o d L� DL cu � cn N cn},z o w o�� o �� �z Ncn� > 0 E o � c � C-° 00� + N U) O O ° ° ' c� N }, U c ca (U o 4 ° _ 0 LL m � N 0 � a o C :) 4-0 m Z LL LO >+ N co CO CID >% cn 0 y En O (U U +, 0) > LO vj N z O � _ � = ) Lo Q) co o L 0 — Cl) 0 •L 1 1 70 0 70 o C6 LO V � �> _ zr 0 E o � c � C-° 00� 0 En NEWS LETTER Public Works Engineering Code Enforcement Public Works The P'ipel'ine 000 . ........... August 23, 2013 The Parks Crew set up the soccer field at Menda kota Park and striped it. Newly planted seed that was put down around the water tower was watered. Trees were trimmed along the pedways in Kensington Park South and Hagstrom King Park. A broken sprinkler head was repaired on the Menda kota ball fields. Repairs were made to the xma rk mower. They attended a safety meeting. The Utilities Crew cut tree roots in the sanitary sewer lines along Keokuk Lane, Pontiac Place, and Ocala Lane. The force main on Mendota Heights Road had a leak inside and was repaired. He attended the safety meeting. The Streets Crew attended the safety training meeting in South Saint Paul. Blacktop patching continued on Marie Avenue from Lexington Avenue to Victoria Road. They continued filling potholes on Victoria Road and stopped at Stratford Road. The generator was lifted onto the concrete pad. Potholes were filled on Mendota Heights Road by Patterson Dental. Engineering City Projects (construction year) Dodd Road /Highway 110 Intersection Pedestrian Improvements (2013) - Utilities have been located and marked. Construction began Wednesday and is scheduled for completion by September 3rd. A portion of Interstate Valley Creek Trail northwest of the intersection will be relocated as part of the contract. Temporary access agreements have been executed with the private property owners for the removal of the existing trail. Hunter Lane /Orchard Place Neighborhood Improvements (2013) -Storm sewer installation along Hunter and east Culligan has begun and is scheduled to be completed by Wednesday August 28t ", a road closure on Lexington Avenue is scheduled for Wednesday to install a culvert. The contractor will also begin grading Hunter Lane. Substantial completion is expected by the end of September with the assessment hearing in October. For more information, please go to the project page on the city web page: www.mendota- heights.com. Project information is updated weekly. Crown Point &Overlook Neighborhood Rehabilitations (2013) -This project is substantially complete. Staff has been preparing the project punch -list, and the contractor will be repairing the punch list items in August. An assessment hearing is scheduled for October. Lexington Avenue Pedestrian Trail, Hwy 110 to Douglas Road (2013) -The trail has been re- paved, and pedestrian ramps installed. Punch -list items remain along with minor landscape restoration. The trail is open for use. Sanitary Sewer Cleaning and Televising (2013) -This project is underway. The contractor will be working in the area of the city west of I -35E and north of Highway 110. Center Pointe Business Park is also included in the project. Minor traffic impacts should be anticipated. An item of jewelry was found in the sanitary sewer in this area and is being held at City Hall. Call the Engineering Department at 651 - 452 -1850 if you are missing an item and can describe what was found. Mendota Heights Road Sanitary Sewer Force Main Replacement (2013) - Design of the replacement force main is anticipated to be complete and ready for bid by October/ November. This force main has broken 5 times in the past 6 years and is in need of replacement. Construction of the replacement could begin as early as this fall. Highway 13 Trail Connection (2013) - Council approved final plans and authorized advertisement for bids at their August 6t" meeting. City Staff is working with adjacent property owners on acquiring the necessary easements for the project. Bid opening is scheduled for August 28t" at 10:00am. Construction is expected in late September /early October. County Projects (Construction Year) Delaware Avenue Guardrails (2013) - Installation of guardrails on Delaware Avenue in selected locations between Highway 110 and I -494 will begin later this month. Plans have been completed and are under inter - agency review. Construction is expected within the coming weeks. North Urban Regional Trail (NURT) Realignment & Greenway Plan (2014) - County staff is working on completing the design of the NURT to meet their Greenway Plan for the area. The trail will be re- routed north along Warrior Drive to Marie within the Henry Sibley High School property. In West Saint Paul, the newly aligned trail will be routed through the Dodge Nature Center on the north side of Marie Avenue, and a tunnel will be installed under Charlton Avenue at Garlough Elementary School. Construction is expected during the summer of 2014. SUPPORT STAFF Kim Henning Trista Miller Becky Pentel POLICE OFFICERS Jerry Murphy Scott Patrick John Larrive Bobby Lambert Tanner Spicer Todd Rosse Chad Willson Jeff Vonfeldt I Steven Meyer I Denise Urmann Michael Shepard Peyton Fleming SCHOOL RESOURCE OFC. Jennifer Fordham INVESTIGATIONS Mario Reyes Chad Willson SERGEANTS Neil Garlock Brian Convery . Eric Petersen RESERVES ' Randy Pentel Jarrod Spicer I Jim Knox Jeff Parker George Castillo CHAPLAINS Frances Cuenca I Joel Detlefsen Lynn Liberman - I Butch Millett Sue Plucker John Snider David Wick ' I CHIEF I Mike Aschenbrener 1 AUGUST 23, 2013 r I T@Cfl Not every case gets solved but our chances get better when the public helps. { Northern Dakota County agencies have teamed up to create a crime blog to - I get seek assistance in identifying suspects for crimes in our area. Please take a moment from time to time to check out the photos, you never know when you might recognizes an individual in the photos or video surveillance. You can post your comments or notify your local police department. You can also remain anonymous. Your comments are reviewed rou- tinely by the police departments and, depending on the content and if you provided contact infor- mation, an investigator may be in touch with you. Any and all information you provide is helpful! Tooether we opvu sDLve cr'vms! e, I Please keep this link handy to better serve your community: http://wsppvideos.blogspot.com/ I Hea It sure has been a HOT week which can mean danger! Heat stroke is the most serious of heat relat- ed illnesses and is a MEDICAL EMERGENCY, e.g. 911! Heat stroke can cause damage to the brain and other internal organs and is caused from prolonged exposure to high temperatures. Meat Stroke occurs when your core body temperature reaches 105 degrees. O THER SYMPTOMS TO WATCH FOR: I - Throbbing headache - Rapid heartbeat; strong or weak I - Dizziness or light - headedness - Rapid, shallow breathing - Lack of sweating despite the heat - Behavioral changes: confused, disoriented, staggering I - Red, hot, and dry skin - Seizures - Muscle weakness or cramps - Unconsciousness I - Nausea and vomiting Who is most at risk in relation to a heat - related illness? Age - Infants and children up to age 4, and adults over the age of 65, are particularly vulnerable because they I adjust to heat more slowly than other people. Health Conditions - Heart, Lung or kidney disease, obesity, underweight, high blood pressure, diabetes, mental illness, sickle cell trait, alcoholism, sunburn or any condition that causes fever. Medications - Check with your doctor. How to prevent Heat Stroke. - Wear lightweight, light - colored, loose- fitting clothing, and a wide brimmed hat I - Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or more. - Drink extra fluids to prevent dehydration, drinks with electrolytes may help I - Use caution when working or exercising outdoors - Monitor the color of your urine, darker urine is a sign of dehydration I - Measure your weight before and after physical activity, this helps determine how much fluid to drink Finally, NEVER leave our child alone in a car, not even for a minute! Heat stroke is the leading Y Y g cause of non - crash, vehicle - related deaths for children. On average, every 10 days a child dies from heat stroke in a vehicle. Sources: www.webmd.com & www.safel<ids.or I 00 Police Support Specialist Sue Donovan has been upgraded to the new IT position for the City of Mendota Heights! Sue has been with the Police Dept. for 5 years and has done an amazing job. She has extensive IT experience and will be a great asset to the city. Luckily, she isn't going too far and we will still get to see her and call upon her to resolve our IT issues. Kudos to JTF Team! Police Support Specialists Trista Miller & Kim Henning, along with the Chief and the contributing officers, received a complimentary email from a fellow MH resident /former City Council Member and a current council member, thanking them for the outstanding job with the new format and content of Just The Facts. "Did You Know" was specifically applauded. We appreciate the kind words. 00 Please send us your positive feedback on our staff to: pdrecords@ mendota- heights.com Your feedback is greatly appreciated and helps boost the morale of our staff. 2 Weel In Re��ie «-... Traffic Stop Thursday 2437 hours Officer Denise Urmann conducted a traffic stop to find 6 children, ages 11, 8, 8, 6, 6 and 1 unrestrained. NO, NO! Vehicle driver was cited and a relative purchased car seats and provided seatbelts for the children. Intoxicated Thursday 0247 hours Officer Steve Meyer received a call on a woman hanging out of a cab window. Meyer assisted the cab driver with two females who were extremely intoxicated and getting sick at the side of the road. Check Goose Welfare Thursday 1245 hours Officer Scott Patrick was dispatched to an animal call on Northland Drive. He discov- ered an injured goose between buildings. The goose was limping yet was still able to eat and get around. We wish the best for goose :: Domestic Thursday 2155 hours Officer Denise Urmann was called to a home on a report of a domestic between a popular duo. The RP thought it sounded physical but for sure heard verbal fighting again. Officer Urmann made contact with the female who stated she was arguing with her boyfriend and that there were no injuries on either party. The male had called his grandma to pick him up so he was gone on arrival. Vehicle "Activity" Friday 1702 hours RP called in with a complaint of a vehicle parked in front of a business. RP states she saw a male and female come back from the bar and then engage in sexual relations. RP was concerned they were intoxicated and would drive away when they were finished with their activity. Officer Peyton Fleming spoke with the couple, Who showed no signs of impairment, and warned them of the complaint. Disturbing Peace Saturday 0126 hours Officer Denise Urmann was dispatched to a local bar on a complaint of a mentally ill female throwing beer bottles, harassing patrons and jumping on the hood of a cab. The female was now threatening patrons that she would get her pit -bull out of her car. Of- ficer Urmann contained the female and soon deliver her to White Castle where her mom took responsibility for her. No damage to property and no assaults were made. fhe CO11t111Ue 1 „ They're BAAAACK... Officer Scott Patrick was dispatched to an alarm; however, it was updated to a false alarm when the RP informed dispatch that the men in the 3rd attic were threatening to take her dog away. Ahhh! The RP told Officer Patrick that men are after her "code" and enter through the cracks in the soffit and she can- not get to them. Before he left, she made sure Officer Patrick was aware she is NOT crazy. AOA- Robbery Saturday 1753 hours Officer Todd Rosse assisted SPPD with a robbery at gunpoint at Cherokee Park. Three juvenile black males, approximately 17 years of age, fled on foot. Unknown if suspects were apprehended. Suspicious Activity Saturday 2034 hours RP called in stating there were shots fired behind their home and believes it is a gun, not fireworks. RP can hear voices and thinks it was a handgun. Officer Todd Rosse arrived on scene and made contact with several adults who stated it was more of a boom like fireworks and not like a gun. Area was checked extensively but only animals were observed. Reckless Driving Sunday 1641 hours A concerned RP called to report 3 juvenile females driving recklessly and tailgating the RP. The teenagers then parked and the RP approached them to talk to them about it. The teenagers replied, "Just because we're young, you can't talk to us like that." Officer Todd Rosse located the teenage driver who was very cooperative with him and said she didn't think she was doing anything wrong. They were warned, but no citations. Drunk n' Depressed Sunday 2211 hours Reporting party called with concern Over her intoxicated neighbor who had gotten kicked out of several bars that evening and may need to go to detox. Officer Steve Meyer met RP and soon found and made contact with the intoxicated male. The male said he was depressed over the death of his best friend who was RP's son. The RP was willing to stay with him to ensure he would not hurt himself and the male advised he will get in touch with a psychologist the following day. Nap Time Monday 0747 hours Officer Bobby Lambert approached vehicle, left on and running while the driver/ woman slept in the back of the car. It turns out the woman had just dropped her son off at the ice arena for hockey practice and wanted to get some zzzz's. She was advised of the many safety concerns in doing this. Suspicious Person Monday 0957 hours Complainant called in afraid after she saw a strange, young looking man in front of her home carrying a white garbage bag. The man walked right up to the house but did not ring the doorbell; he just looked around. She claimed he looked as if he was under the influence of something. Officer Scott Patrick arrived to the area and after locating the man, it turns out he was delivering advertisement flyers and was advised he must obtain 3 a solicitors permit to do so. 4 Don't FORGET! If you are a Mendota Heights resident and you are going out of town /vacation, you can notify MHPD of your outing and we will be more than happy to keep a watchful eye on your home while you are away. The House Check Request online form is available on our website; we have similar forms in the MHPD lobby and we will take your info over the phone. MHPD offers monthly car seat safety checks. To schedule an appointment, call 651.452.1366 to contact Officer Jennifer Fordham. C0111t11111e 1,,, Candy Thieves Monday 2012 hours Officer Todd Rosse was dispatched to a local gas station on a report of a theft. The cashier stated a male and female approximately 20 years of age had just left the store 5 minutes ago after stealing some candy. The cashier was able to get a vehicle description and Officer Rosse located the vehicle in front of a Subway. He made contact with the female sitting in the vehicle. When asked where the male was, she stated he was in the bathroom. She admitted she had stolen 2 bags of candy, a 7oz bag of Gummi Peaches and a 7oz bag of Tootsie Roll Midgees, a grand total of $3. She said, "I can go pay for them now." She was advised it was much too late for that now. The female stated the boyfriend knew nothing about it; however, he had fled on foot and was not found in the area. The female was cited and released for misdemeanor theft. Theft Wednesday 1453 hours A local alcoholic beverage business owner called in stating he was robbed about 30 minutes ago. The deposit money envelope had been left sitting on the desk in the office and was now missing. Two suspicious black males had come into the store and while one was distracting the owner asking random questions, the other was wandering around. The owner had also been busy talking with a sales rep, so he had a hard time keeping track of all three individuals in the store. After the males had left, he discov- ered the money missing and realized he may have left the back door open. The accused males were not located and security was discussed with the business owner. Vehicle Theft Wednesday 0341 hours Officers John Larrive and Jennifer Fordham were dispatched to the Pool and Yacht Club on a vehicle theft report. There were cars broken into and it was believed that the possible suspects were still in a car in the parking lot. The real suspects were gone on arrival and the "culprit" found in the car was just an employee taking a break. Unconscious Bicyclist Wednesday 1608 hours Officers John Larrive and Jennifer Fordham responded to an intersection on a "man MHPD has a down" welfare check. The male was found to be sleeping at the side of the road with his Medication Disposal p b h in Box 1 f bicycle nearby The paramedics had arrived and evaluated him to determine he had a o the lobby o the PD where Dakota BAC level of .181. The male was taken to detox and officers took in his bicycle for safe- County residents can keeping until he sobered up. safely and .................................. ....��......................... anonymously dispose Aug. .22=Labor Day, Sept. 2., 20IL31 of their prescription drugs and over -the- low 417 NIZAw .19 counter medication. NO F N N Fw The great Minnesota State Fair has begun! Copy & paste the URL below into your browser to check out the new foods for 2013: http://www.mnstatet-air.org/fun/new-food/ Vies Know p4b""rr d /eq o /rce Orfi� BN 'y F�rdham pC�Qa� In Minnesota, individuals who are seeking employment in law enforcement must pass a physical fitness test when they are applying for entry into the "skills" program. This program must be completed in order to be licensed. It consists of the following tests: cardiovascular (such as running), upper body strength (push -ups or bench presses), flexibility and lower body strength (typically like standard gym class challenges like long or vertical jump). Once this hurdle is passed (no pun intended), your next "fitness" test, is an actual physical examination done by a doctor. The medical experts do a full screening, including, but not limited to the following screenings: drug, stress, hearing, vision, and other common screenings to make sure your body is healthy and able to handle the rigors of the job. In addition to being "physically" fit, a full mental health evaluation is done prior to being hired by an agency to make sure officers are also "emotionally" fit to handle the unseen, non- physical stressors of the job. After this phase there is some variation, even right here within Dakota County. Some agencies have officer candidates undergo another fitness test during the hiring process. Many of these "rookies" are fresh out of college and skills, so this test may not be a challenge. But for other applicants, who are changing departments or have been out looking for a job for some time, it is possible that many years have passed since the "gym class" style fitness test they completed when they were in school for law enforcement. Currently, at the MHPD, we do not have a physical fitness test requirement prior to getting hired but many other agencies do. In addition, we do not have an annual fitness test or a "Fit for Duty" program like some of our neighboring departments do. Even though we do not have these requirements, physical fitness is still a very important component of our job and the department. Remaining physically fit is in the best interest for our job performance, officer safety, and public image of the department as well as to our overall well - being. 5 stave 2 s2fe We6z!